Konohagakure High, Broken
by GoneDrake
Summary: It's a brand new school year at Konohagakure high, and the most feared gang in the city, the Akatsuki, is as strong as ever. But when a new transfer student, Deidara, gets thrown into the picture, what'll happen? Sasodei, rated T for Hidan's mouth.
1. Introduction

Konohagakure high school was filled with students. They ran through the hallways, screaming and laughing, no care for who they crashed into. But it was, in fact, the first day of a new school year – people were allowed to be excited, right? Besides, it wasn't as though any of the teachers would choose to stay behind to give out detention, especially not on the first day.

The high school had been founded at least twenty years ago by a man everyone referred to as the first hokage. Since then, they had had five different principals, their current one being none other then the moody, gambling-addicted, over controlling woman, Mrs. Tsunade. Glued to her side was the loyal secretary, Mrs. Shizune, as well as two old guidance counselors. The teachers were numerous, and constantly moving around. They never seemed to stick to any certain subject. Konoha high school was constantly changing; therefore, no one could ever keep track of its current state. Some said that Mrs. Tsunade changed the school's schedule so often for the sole reason of causing havoc.

And then there were the students. Like any school, there were many appointed groups that were scattered throughout the halls. Some even roamed the streets. No one ever stayed in a certain clique for long, because new students were always transferring to and from the building. It was best just to gradually drift into a certain group of friends, and move with everyone else.

The popular group was composed of fashion obsessed girls, led by Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. The two girls were in constant rivalry with each other. They were followed around by a mess of popular wannabes, including the shy and out of place Hinata Hyuga. And, of course, trailing after them was Naruto Uzumaki, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, and Chouji Akimichi; the geeks of the school.

Neji Hguya, Hinata's cousin, was part of the group of transfer students. Gaara, Temari, and Kakuro had just transferred from Sunagakure high school as well, and were much too cold and intimidating to be approached by the rest of the students. People generally left them alone, in fear of the unknown consequences.

But of course, Gaara had a girlfriend, Aukina Tasashi, who led the group of "outcasts" in the school. They were loners – rarely even hanging out with each other. It wasn't that they couldn't make any friends, but more that they didn't /want/ any friends. Besides Aukina, there was Sasuke Uchiha, Tenten, and Sai. They all had their reasons for being left alone, though some were rather… peculiar.

Finally, there was the school's leading – and most dreaded – gang, the Akatsuki. No one spoke to them, terrified of the /known/ consequences. They remained close to invisible, drifting through the classrooms during the day, wreaking havoc at night. All that was known of the members were their names; the leader, Pain, his girlfriend, Konan, the angry one, Sasori, Sasuke's brother, Itachi Uchiha, the odd one, Kisame, the psychopath, Hidan, the masked guy, Kakuzu, the schizophrenic, Zetsu, and the annoying wannabe, Tobi. They all had some serious criminal history, and constantly got into fights with other gangs from different schools, especially a certain one, Hebi. But the Akatsuki were still on top.

"And I'm supposed to fit /in/ here?!" Deidara gaped at the front entrance of the enormous school. "What the hell?!"


	2. Day 1 X Classes

**Chapter 2 =D Sorry it took such a long time... I was working on my story for Nanowrimo, and forgot about my poor fanfics for a while. I'm sorry D= Please forgive mees.**

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Sakura stood in front of the bathroom mirror, combing her shoulder length, pink hair with a brush. It flipped around, having a body of it's own. She smiled. She was looking better than Ino today. That loner, Sasuke, was sure to notice her. He had even muttered a "hurry up" to her yesterday, when she was drinking at the fountain. That /had/ to be the start of their relationship. They were bound to get married, have kids, and move away to the country…

_Hey,_ snapping out of her fantasies, the pixie like girl frowned as she saw a thick mass of blond hair disappear into one of the stalls. It was shiny and clean. She hadn't noticed anyone at the school with such hair, because she would've been sure to recruit them before encountering any competition. _Rule #1,_ she thought, _keep your friends close, and your enemies closer._

Sakura tapped her foot n the bathroom floor. She'd have to wait a few minutes before the girl finished. Maybe it had been Temari, one of the exchange students from Sunagakure High… or even principal Tsunade. Surely it couldn't have been Ino… that bitch would've commented on how her pink shirt didn't match her pink shoes.

"Wshh." Ears perking up, she turned her back to the stall so that she wouldn't seem so genuinely suspicious. The blond would have to wash her hands, so she'd be able to start a conversation with whoever it was. Hair, check. Lip gloss, check. Purse, check. Mascara, check. Guy in the mirror, check.

…Wait.

Sakura shrieked and twirled around. Her back hit the porcelain sink with a clunk, sending her belongings flying to the ground, clack clack clack. The guy jumped back as well, equally shocked with her reaction. He mumbled a few words, looked up, studied her face… and gasped. His blue eyes bugged out of his head.

"What the hell?!" Sakura yelled. She had regained her voice. It was only then that she noticed his long blond hair, the same hair she had seen moments ago. "Th-this is the /girl's/ bathroom! For girls!"

He looked like he was going to throw up. "I-I thought this was the g-guy's…" He choked out. Cheeks turning bright red. "S-sorry…"

He bent down to gather her stuff, quickly throwing her makeup and hair products into the little pink bag. She stood, watching him, noticing how his hands were spotted with something that looked like… clay. What a weird kid. Not only did he enter the girl's washroom without noticing that it was the wrong gender's, but he didn't make note that there had been a /girl/ in it. And not only a girl. The most popular one I all f Konoha High. He was either new, or really, really dumb.

"Here," The boy's soft voice sounded sad. He handed her the purse, "I'm sorry for scaring you. I-I don't know the school very well, and wasn't paying attention to the signs."

She frowned. He /was/ an exchange student. "Whatever. Don't make the same mistake again, or Mrs. Tsunade will suspend you. Even if it /is/ your first day here."

"Yeah." The blond nodded. "I won't." He extended a hand. His nails were colored black, "My name's Deidara. What's yours?"

"Sakura Haruno." With that, she left the room, not planning on engaging in any more conversation. He seemed rather… easily manipulated. Kind. /Soft./ But with those nails… She hoped he wasn't one of those emo kids. Even the way his hair flopped over one of his eyes was suspicious.

* * *

"Did you hear something?" Sai laughed, stretching out onto his back. He took the joint out of Tenten's hand. The smoke passed through his lungs as he inhaled, feeling the relaxing, thick calmness enter his lugs. Exhale. Puff of grey. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. He passed it back. "We should do this more often."

"Mmm." The brunette nodded, breathing in the drug herself. She pointed at the field ahead of them. "Here comes Sasuke. He must want to know where Gaara is or something."

Giggling, Sai waved at the black haired boy. "Heyyy, sweetheart. You looking for your gay loser, or you wanna have a little fun with us and the weed Mrs. Chicka over here scored."

Sasuke walked over to where the two others were sitting. The bleachers had been littered with cans and other bits of garbage, the custodians never bothering to clean any of it up.

"Have you seen Gaara?" He frowned at the horizon, lips pursed in deep thought. He was constantly somewhere else - probably dwelling on conflicts that weren't even there. Sai had always thought the boy had been a bit of an attention seeker. Sasuke never bothered to acknowledge anyone else's existence unless he needed to, which, even then, was rare. But as long as he didn't bother people and kept to his own business, he wasn't much of a problem.

Sai scoffed. "Fine, whatever. Yeah, lover boy's over by the aviatory. I wouldn't bother him, though. He looked pissed. Maybe the pharmacy ran out of his favorite eye shadow brand."

Sasuke gave a slight nod and walked off, not bothering to thank him. His black satchel swished back and forth on his shoulder.

"Wonder what he wants," Tenten thought out loud, eyes drifting to the enormous building before them. The school was made of bricks, but with it's intimidating exterior, it could've been constructed out of daisies and still unnerved those who were new. They had gotten used to it over the past few years. Adaptation was bliss. "Maybe Orochimaru had something to tell him?"

Sai's eyes narrowed. He didn't like that name. Orochimaru was the leader of one of the biggest and most powerful gangs in all of Konoha, and when he wanted something done, there were no questions asked. Sasuke had started working for him a year or two ago, after the leader's scouts thought that he could be worthwhile. Now the boy was even more secretive than usual.

Sai didn't know much about the gang scene in the town, but he hung around the "bad" crowd enough to know bits and pieces of what was going on. For one, there seemed to be a lot of conflict between Hebi - Orochimaru's group - and some other gang named Akatsuki. Rumors were that the members in these legendary cliques attended Konohagakure High School. It had always spiked his curiosity, but the last thing that he wanted was to get mixed up in such stupid, pointless fighting. Sure, blood spill every once in a while was fun, but once the law got involved, it sucked. Big time.

And then there were the tasks the gangs did. They recruited, infiltrated, fought, and dominated. Those who knew nothing of the events were safe, but as soon as you even mentioned the name of someone in a gang, you'd be considered a threat. The more known the gang was, the more elite your status in the streets. Names were discarded, new ones given. People quieted at the sound of you footsteps. But fear wasn't the only thing they had going for them. The gangs also liked to cause trouble in the city - if not murder.

"He always did seem to have a thing for Sasuke..." Tenten continued, not having noticed that Sai had stopped paying attention. She tended to ignore the reactions of others and just say whatever came off the top of her head. It got the girl far in English class. "Maybe something came up with the other main gang... what was their name, again? Something with an A... Anyways, I heard that there was some big fight last night in the north part of town. A guy died. Lots got injured. It's weird how they never go to the hospital, even for broken bones-"

"Pass me another joint." Sai interrupted, cutting her off. He didn't like how she knew so much about the gang scene. Guys involved was one thing - girls involved, another. He didn't want her to get physically hurt - or worse - for talking too much. "And seriously, cut the crap about the gangs. If someone were to corner you after school, you wouldn't be able to defend yourself. Don't put yourself in the situation. It's not worth it."

She shrugged her shoulders and passed him the cigarette. Retying the ribbons in her hair, she pointed at their home outside of the hell they lived in, and winked. "Class starts in an hour. C'mon, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."

"I thought class started in five minutes."

"Five minutes, an hour... same thing. I'm too lazy to go to history, and I know you hate gym class. Besides," Tenten waved a twenty dollar bill in the air. "I just got paid. My treat."

Sai rolled his eyes. She knew him too well. There was no way he could pass up an offer like that. Free food was almost as good as porn. "Fine, let's go. But there'd better be milkshakes."

* * *

Deidara sighed. Not only had he been late to his first four classes, stepped in a pile of spilled soda, rammed into about a dozen people, and missed the lunch break trying to gather all his textbooks, but he had just walked into the girl's bathroom and freaked out one of his classmates. Not to mention that he actually /went/ to the bathroom in there…

"Ugh," He muttered, making his way to his fifth period class. Gym was easy enough to find, because it was located in the center of the school. He had already gotten his gym clothes ready, so he didn't have to worry about forgetting his shorts. And, of course, he was going to be very careful about going into the /guy's/ change room this time. "I wonder which teacher I'll have for- oof!"

The guy who had hit Deidara snarled. "Frig." A red haired boy kneeled on the ground, quickly gathering his clothes from the floor. He was a little shorter than the blond himself, rounded face making him look like young and childish.

But there was nothing innocent about this guy. A darkness loomed over his head that made Deidara shiver and think twice about saying anything,

"Umm, s-sorry." Deidara stammered. He reached for one of the red head's textbooks. "I'm new here, and I still haven't gotten the hang of maneuvering the halls… You wouldn't guess how many people I've-"

To his surprise, the boy snatched the book from the blond's hands in a flash, baring his teeth. This was the first time that Deidara saw his eyes – a fiery, rosen ash. They would've been a nice color, if they hadn't have been glazed over. _Maybe he's high on something,_ Deidara thought.

"Just watch it, brat." The guy hissed. His face had grown even harder than before. "And don't touch my stuff."

Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd of students like a ghost.

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**So how do you like it so far? Any suggestions? Please R & R! Thanks =3**


	3. Day 1 X Second Period

**I included more of Deidara's perspective this time. Sorry if it's a little short, I'll try to make the chapters longer. Please R & R! The reviews/alerts/favorites keep me writing! Thanks! =3**

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"Welcome to Phys. Ed." A sturdy looking teacher stood at the front of the crows of guys and girls. He pointed to himself, and then his assistant. "My name is Master Guy, and this is the lovely Anko. I will be teaching the boys, and she will be teaching the girls."

Deidara had a perplexed look plastered across his face. He found it difficult to take this teacher seriously – especially since he was wearing head to toe green spandex, an old-fashioned bowl cut, and a smile like a next-door pedophile. His teeth were sparkling white, and he stood with his hip jutted out. The blond tried to keep a straight face.

Others were having trouble in that area.

"What /is/ he wearing?" A blue haired kid snickered, tapping his friend on the shoulder. The recipient, however, looked less amused. "I don't think I'll be able to participate. I'll be laughing too hard."

Another boy laughed. "The /lovely/ Anko." He mocked. "The master definitely has a hard on for her."

"And with that spandex, we can see it..."

"Guys, I don't think he's into women."

"Oh, god!"

The gym slowly became a noisy chatter of giggling and disapproval.

Hands on his waist, the teacher let out a piercing whistle. Deidara covered his ears in discomfort.

"Ahh, youth. So young and full of life." Guy-sensei struck another pose, this time pointing to the sky. Deidara winced. It was painful to watch. "Embrace your wild, feisty spirits, kids. That's where true power comes from. The heart. When I was younger, I wish I could've known such a thing. Now… let's start the training! Get that energy pumping! Ten laps around the gym! Go, go, go!"

A chorus of groans were heard as the class took off running.

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_A deep voice. Black clouds. Thick smoke that made it hard to breathe. He couldn't breathe._

_"Help," He choked out, struggling for air. He writhed under the other's painful grip, but the more he moved, the harder it got. His body felt like lead. "Don't – don't do this…"_

_Everything was dark, making it impossible to see. His arms were pinned behind his back, in an odd, unnatural position. A bone jutted out of his right arm. Something scraped against it, like fingernails on a chalkboard. Trying to move, he only got dizzier, and with that came terror._

_Spots were gathering at the corners of his vision. A red haze crept forward with the lack of oxygen, sending him spiraling into blindness. And the pain… he tried to cry out, but nothing came. He was paralyzed._

_"Please, someone help me," He thought, agonized. "I'm going to die like this, without a fight. No one will come look for me, no one will care. They never did. If only someone had come sooner, saved me from this… but I'm alone. I'll always be alone. I'll die alone. Slowly and painfully… help me… oh god, if only I could've told them that I-"_

_"Sorry, boy," The voice penetrated his thoughts. A low moan escaped his cracked lips. He tasted blood. "You were meant to die."_

_Then everything went black._

"Sasori?"

Sasori's eyes snapped open, panicked and frenzied. Gasping, he tried to control the shudders that rippled through his small body, but to his avail, they got worse. His breathing was fast – he needed air. He was still suffocating. He shook with fear. It was only a dream… nothing more. Calm down, he told himself. Calm down. Compose yourself, you moron. People are probably staring.

He let his eyes drift slowly around the classroom.

The red head gave a sigh of relief, sounding more like an unstable shudder. No one was disturbed.

Every part of his body was on edge.

Sasori felt something brush his wrist. He froze. What-

"Are you okay?" Pain, an orange haired boy, looked at him with eyes of concern. He scanned Sasori up and down – frowning when he saw the shaking and trembling lip. "Sasori? Can you hear me?"

"Y-yes, I" the red head's voice cracked. It took all of his willpower not to crumble. He wanted to pass out, run away, maybe throw up. "J-just another nightmare. D-don't worry. I-I'm g-good now."

Pain hissed. "I think they're getting worse. Didn't you have one yesterday, too?"

Sasori was silent. His chest rose visibly up and down.

"I'm serious, Akasuna. Maybe you should go see someone."

A bitter, shaky laugh escaped the red head's lips. See someone? Was he serious? "Wh-why yes, sir my name is Sasori Akasuna, a-and I can't stop having nightmares in the m-middle of the day. A-are there any causes of stress I-in y life? Actually, n-now that you mention it, I-I'm in one of the m-most dangerous gangs in the city, h-have no parents, and had to fend for m-myself ever since I was s-six years old. Oh, and n-not to mention that I've probably m-murdered a dozen people, give or t-take a few.

Pain glared at him. A least his lack of a sense of humor was back. His speech, though, was still impaired. He ran a hand through his spiky hair, and sighed. "I meant, like, a school counselor or something. Or, if you wanted, you could always talk to me about what going on in your head… I know I'm not the best, but I'd still be willing to listen if you-"

"Fuck you, leader." Sasori's eyes flared. He was still panicked, but anger helped him control it. "I'm not some charity case that you need to help. I'm not going to go crazy if you don't. They're just dreams. It's not like I'm not going to be able to fight."

"How can you fight if your head's not screwed on properly?"

"The hell do you mean?"

"I mean, if you don't talk this out with someone, they're going to get worse, and soon you're not going to be able to cover them up so easily. Do you have any idea how much of a handicap you'd be if that happened during one of our fights with Hebi?"

"Shut up." Sasori growled.

"You're just afraid, because you don't want to admit that you're just as soft as everyone else."

"I said shut up." His fists clenched.

"That you miss your mom and da-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!" He threw himself on top of the orange haired boy, pounding, kicking, slamming his body into the side of the wall… everything was a blur. He hated people who brought it up. Hated the fact that they thought he was weak because he didn't have a family. Hated that they thought he was guilty for it. Hate. Hate, hate, hate. He'd kill anyone who even tried to-"

A punch sent him flying backwards into the nearest table. With a crash, he was sprawled on the ground. Pain got up in less than a second, reached down, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt. Seething, he punched the smaller boy once more, this time, in between the eyes.

"Oww…"

"Don't you ever try that again," Pain spat. He had blood trickling down his face. His eyes were narrowed in something that looked like a mix of anger and sympathy. "Once more, and something will break. Try explaining /that/ to your grandmother."

Sasori glared at the leader. "Whatever." He looked up, wincing as he saw the entire class's attention was focused on the two boys.

This was going to be a long day.

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"Hey, blondie, pass it here!"

Deidara threw the football as far as he could, delighted when it landed in between one of his teammate's fingers. A white haired boy slapped him – hard – on the back, grinning. The blond assumed that was a congrats. He smiled. Maybe this school wasn't so bad, after all. Ever since his mother had told him that they were going to be moving from Iwagakure to Konohagakure, he had been terrified. Rumors had it that the cliques were formed as early as elementary school, and if you didn't know your way around, you were bound to be beaten. Even the teachers were supposed to be strange… _Then again,_ he thought, slipping a glance at Guy-sensei. _That part wasn't too far off._

Deidara had spent most of the morning trying to find his classes. But the rest of the time, he had been studying some of the groups, wondering where he'd fit in. Always having been a little different than the others at his old school, it was hard developing solid relationships. None of the mainstream students wanted to e be seen with him; the outcasts thought that he was too innocent. He was stuck in the middle. Just a shadow. Part of the school's walls, serving little importance. And that was even worse than being hated.

He sighed. His good mood had dropped. If only there was some way out of having to eat lunch today, so that he didn't have to sit alone. Maybe he could tell the teacher he felt sick. Maybe…

"Hey, heads up!" The blond say the same white haired boy, Hidan, waving to him. He raised his hand to wave back, but realized that his classmate was anticipating something. What was he-?

Thunk.

Deidara swayed as the football dropped to the ground, having him in full tilt in the forehead. He touched his skin, dismayed to find it sensitive, and, ugh, bleeding. His head spun.

"Hey, are you okay?" Blinking, he saw a calm looking girl standing over him. She held out her hand. "Come on, get up. Don't be such a wuss."

"Ughh…" Deidara groaned, taking her outstretched palm. She pulled him to his feet. The girl had medium length, blond hair, tied back in a series of pigtails. Her eyes were strong and fierce, shoulders defined, jaw set. A little silver fan hung from her neck. "That hurt, un."

She stifled a giggle. "That's Hidan for you." The blond glanced back over his shoulder, and after swaying a little, caught the white haired boy's gaze. Hidan winked, grinning from ear to ear. "He likes hitting the new students – they never suspect him. He seems to have a liking for you, though."

"U-un…"

"My name's Temari, by the way. What's yours?"

_She must be one of the exchange students,_ he thought. "Deidara… it's my first day here, un."

"No kidding." Temari raised her hand. Guy-sensei nodded to her, and she turned back to the blond. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up. You're kind of bleeding all over the gym floor. Not to mention your clothes."

Deidara looked down. She was right.

As they left the gymnasium, Hidan waved once more. His violet eyes were shining. "See you later, blondie!"

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**So? How was it? Please leave a comment! Thanks!**


	4. Day 1 X Afternoon

**Hey guys. I'm really sorry that I've been away for such a long time. I had this written up a while ago, but a little paragraph I had scratched down was missing. I looked everywhere for it... (because I hate re writing stuff - it never sounds the same), but I couldn't seem to find it. Then school started up again. But your reviews and subscriptions have been appearing in my inbox, and they make my day. That's why I'll be getting more and more frequent with this story.**

**This story's main characters are Deidara and Sasori, but I'm not sure if I put enough of them in this chapter, or if you like the character mix ups. Please tell me, and give me your comments/opinions. Thank you! =D**

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Konan walked silently to the pharmacy, hands in her jean pockets. Her dark blue hair swished in front of her eyes. It wasn't a windy day, but the weather seemed against her, whipping the student's vision with every turn. The store wasn't too far from the school, but it was still a ten-minute walk. She was bound to miss her English class.

At least Pain didn't notice, the quiet girl thought, glancing behind her back. The boy had a tendency of showing up whenever she most wanted to be alone. Sure, he usually made her feel a hell of a lot better, but sometimes… she sighed. If only secrets weren't what held her life together. Then, maybe she'd be able to open up to someone for once. Someone like Pain.

Turning to the right, Konan caught a brief flash of black out of the corner of her eye. It shot to the left – then the right. The girl stopped. He had developed skills over the past few years that left her well aware of the dangers that the city brought, acute sight, and trained reflexes. She didn't worry about getting hurt ay more. The guys had taught her well enough. She hated the days when she used to be vulnerable.

"What do you want?" Konan asked sharply/ A quick time check. 11:20 am. God dammit. "I'm already late. Come on out and make my day."

Nothing happened. The wind blew again, rustling every bush in sigh. Leaves tumbled to the ground. A thunk sounded in the distance, coughing her to drop down into a crouch.

"Akatsuki…" a faint whisper drifted into her ears. It swirled around and around, until finally, after hissing, it disappeared. It had almost been inaudible. "Akatsuki…"

Growling, the blue haired girl strode towards the origin of the nose. She reached into her satchel for a switchblade – this one was twisted, with origami cranes winding up and down the side. With an automatic, retractable end it was a lethal weapon. Also illegal… but Pain had made it from scratch for her, as well as the soft, light leather case. No need for an arms permit then.

"Who is it this time?" Konan muttered. 10:2 am. "Orochimaru? Sasuke? Tayuya? Suigetsu?" a laugh. "/Karen?/"

No answer. She tried again. "Seriously. Come out and fight, or go away. Attacking someone with their guard down is cowardly."

"But attacking someone with their guard up is so boring."

Konan frowned. A low male voice had come from the trees.

"Ukon?"

"Yes? A boy dropped head first out of the foliage, catching himself by wrapping his legs around a branch. It creaked. His necklace made loud clacking clacking noises. "You called?"

"What the hell are you following me for?"

He gave a slow smile. The wind rustled again, almost in accompaniment.

"Orochimaru-sama heard about your little…, and wanted to see for himself. I was sent to bring you – with force, if necessary – to him."

This time it was Konan's turn to laugh. "As if."

But something in the blue haired's boy's eyes caught her off guard. There was some sort of glimmer… anticipation, maybe? As if he was waiting for someone or something. Almost an amused, knowing look.

"Who are you waiting fo-"

"Konan, look out!"

The girl deeked to the side just in time, as an explosion of power barely missed her. She rolled to the ground in a cloud of dust, quickly jumping to her feet, clasping her knife. She hissed.

Sakon stood in front of her, looking bothered. He shot a glare of hatred towards the person who had warned his target.

"Konan, you okay?" Reaching the blue haired girl, Kakuzu, one of the Akatsuki members, turned to face his opponents. Despite the thick mask covering his face, you could see that he was angry. Kakuzu was generally one that kept his calm… but the amount of fighting in between gangs, lately – and the money it cost them – was really starting to get to him. And that was definitely a dangerous thing.

She nodded. How could she have fallen for such a stupid trick? Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Good. Pay more attention next time, though." The boy narrowed his eyes at the twins in the tees, still watching them. "Why were you out by yourself, anyways? Pain's going to have you head."

Konan felt herself grow even redder. "I… don't know…"

He rolled his yes. It was obvious that he didn't believe her. "Like hell you don't.. But whatever, I don't care. Just don't expect that excuse to work on Pain."

"Yeah…"

"Now." Kakuzu took a step towards Orochimaru's followers and grabbed a ranch. It cracked. "What do you want?"

Ukon pointed at Konan. "Her."

"Why?"

"Because Orochimaru-sama ordered us to get her."

"And you don't know why he wants her?"

"He wants to check if what he heard was true." The twins exchanged amused glances. The blue haired girl felt herself growing smaller and smaller, wishing to disappear into the ground below her feet.

Kakuzu's eyebrows bent in confusion. "What rumors?"

Sakon laughed. "Oh, you didn't know? A pause. . Wait… does you leader even know?"

"Know what?" Second dragged on. Finally, he two boys answered unanimously.

Konan bristled. "Wait-"

"That she's pregnant."

* * *

"Oww… that hurts, un." Deidara sat cross-legged in the nurse's office, while Mrs. Shizune applied white bandages to his forehead. He grimaced.

"Quit whining." Temari hissed. She gave an apologetic glance towards the nurse. "He's new ere. He hasn't developed much of a backbone yet." Mrs. Shizune nodded, deep in thought, and applied another bandage. Deidara winced. She shushed him and rubbed some dried blood away with a wet cloth, dipped in alcohol.

"It's too bad though." The blond girl continued. She picked up a cotton swab, rolling it around in between her fingers. She seemed at ease. "Usually transfer students come in with at least a bit of a backbone… something to keep them from getting crushed, y'know? The rumors for this school aren't completely true – I know, because we had been worrying for weeks before we came here – but there are still things to be paranoid about. You need a strong head, attitude, and a whole bunch of gall. The only thing worse than having none of these," she laughed. "is having none of these,,, and being arrogant on top of it. Fun world, isn't it?"

The nurse didn't seem to mind Temari's intimidating chatter. Deidara, on the other hand, did.

"How are you such an expert, un?"

She shrugged. As soon as Shizune left to go get some more bandages, the girl pulled up her sleeve, and, checking the door once more, turned to her classmate.

On her wrist was a small mark – black, simple, and sharp. An hourglass.

"I'm a watcher, y'see." Pushing her arm closer to the blond's face, she smiled deviously. Eyes grew dark. "I watch everyone. I take note on everything. No one sees me. No one knows what I do."

He blinked. "Why?"

"There are too many gangs in this city, and they're growing stronger. Too much power, and the weaker ones start dropping out. I've never been one to jump in and save the day, but I've never been one to sit around and know nothing, either. I watch, and do with it what I want. As long as I'm in control, and know what's going on, I'm doing my job."

"Your job?"

Temari smiled again, this time sadder, softer, gentler. She touched his shoulder. "We all have secrets, Deidara-san, as you will soon learn. I'm sure you have one, too, but I'm not asking about it. What I'm saying is that I can tell you some things, but not others. Don't take it personally. We're al composed of them, and once they're reveled, they can become our downfall."

He frowned, confused. "But… I don't understand. I barely know you. Why are you telling me this? I thought you said no one knew."

"I have a feeling I can trust you, she said. Her gaze flickered to the doorway, then back to Deidara's sky blue eyes. The nurse wasn't back yet. "My brothers – Gaara and Kankuro – know as well. And I'm sure Gaara has told his psychopath of a girlfriend. But," Her eyes flashed. "If you /do/ say anything, fitting in will be the least of your worries."

* * *

Clouds, white clouds… floating like cotton balls in the sky… Sunlight streaming into the distance, as bright as a child's face on Christmas. Shadows cowering. A light breeze. Trees swaying.

It was a calm afternoon. Everyone was in class, even though dozens were skipping. Some had left to go home, others getting into trouble… some just for the hell of it. Teachers had more to do than preoccupy themselves with those who didn't want to learn. When exam time came around, that's all that mattered to them.

One cloud looked like a heart… curved twice near the top, jagged lines leading to a point at the end, and creating a triangle in the middle. It floated apart, slowly, but still maintained its shape. A dark blue tint lines it's edges.

Only a few minutes ago, a group of teens had passed by. They were heading for one of the many forests surrounding the school. Sex, drugs, alcohol… by the way they comported themselves, it was for one of those reasons. The students didn't appear as the violent types.

Another cloud had made its way into the center of the sky. This one was softer, like someone had taken a hundred, circular clouds, and stamped them on top of each other in slightly different angles. It didn't have much of a shape… but it was sort of pretty in an interesting way.

Now a girl wandered through the fields, mascara streaks lining her cute little face. She was crying. It was likely she had gotten into a fight with one of her peers, and was heading off in search of somewhere to be alone. Kids did this often, too. School didn't provide any privacy, so teens needed somewhere to think with disturbances.

Clouds, white clouds… a few were growing darker. No storm… but off into the distance. They formed the features of a face… a man's face. Demonic. Hard. Frightening. Soft puffs composed his eyes, a strange contrast against the rest of his face. The rest were tiny clouds, wispy, sharp, and numerous.

"What are you doing?"

Hinata lay on her back in the grass. Arms folded above her head, she yawned. Crossed a knee above her other leg. Smiled. "Watching the clouds."

Neji frowned. He was an average looking teen – normal height, long brown hair, and pale skin. He squinted at the sky is concentration. "What clouds? The sky is a gray opaque, cousin."

She blinked.

The clouds, blue skies, green trees, everything, had disappeared.

Only the light breeze and grass stayed the same.

"Oh…" The short, dark purple haired girl mumbled. She was small and quiet, extremely shy. Most of her time was spent daydreaming. "It was a whole lot nice before…"

Neji sat down next to her. He cleared a spot on the ground so that his black chained pants wouldn't pick up any mud. Frowning, his voice dropped to a low whisper. "What have you seen?"

Hinata blinked up at him. "Clouds, lots of clouds. They were shaped-"

"No, not that." He hissed. Hands got jammed into tight pockets. "Don't screw with me. You know what I'm talking about."

"I don't have anything for you, Neji." The small girl stood up, stretching her arms as she arched her back and yawned. "You know it doesn't work that way. I can only see thoughts every once in a while."

"Then try harder." He growled.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is hanging out with them? They don't even like me. They'd never tell me anything that I'd – you'd – want to know."

A sigh. He was getting tired of her timid attitude. "All you have to do is get close to Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamahada. Who cares if they don't like you? /Make/ them like you."

"But-"

"I'm getting impatient. I don't want to use blackmail on you, cousin, but I will if I have to."

"I-"

"You wouldn't want anyone knowing about you little delusions, would you?"

Hinata straightening up, frightened. "N-no. Please, Neji, don't."

"I won't." He grinned. "If you get your act together. You had all summer, and you didn't get much. Now that it's the new school year, and you're in their classes, you'd better have something for me every day."

"I-I will…" She agreed, stuttering. Rolling over, the girl turned to face the clouds in thought. Quieter, she repeated. "I will…"

* * *

Deidara stepped out of the nurse's office with Temari, still feeling a little dizzy from the hit on his head. The halls were completely empty – classes were mid session, and it was a warm enough day for the dropouts to hang around outside. It was strange that they'd even come to school at all, if they planned on only coming to school to skip it. Why didn't they just stay home?

The blond glanced at his schedule, then the time. Art class in the aviatory. He inhaled. Any other class, and he would've gladly waited for it to end before entering the room. Besides, he would've already have been marked absent. But this was the one class that Deidara had been looking forward to since the very first day he had heard about it. Iwagakure didn't have an art program.

"You coming?" Already halfway down the hallway, Temari waved at him. She was leaving. "Or are you gonna stay in this hell hole of a school?"

"Uhhh…" Deidara pursed his lips together nervously. "I'm going to go to class, un. Don't want to miss the first day of it."

She shrugged at him. "Whatever, suit yourself." The blond girl walked away, not even bothering to look back as he stood their, awkwardly shifting his feet. She turned a corner, and was soon gone. But he had a feeling that this wasn't the last time he'd be seeing her.

Raising his head in determination, the newest student strode towards his art class. He wasn't going to mess /this/ class up.

* * *

"You messed it up," Sasori hissed at Pain, angry. He sat next to the orange haired boy at a wide table, full of pencils, multi colored Sharpies, and papers. The drawing below was of a person – light hair, soft eyes, lean figure – dancing violently in the wind. But right in the middle of her face was a big blotch of ink. "Seriously, it took me all period to make that."

Pain rolled his eyes. "I thought there was no limit to your artistic abilities."

The red head hissed at him, trying to attract the attention of everyone else. "Not when you pour your fucking paint on it, moron!"

"Hey, who're you calling a-"

Both students froze as a whisp of blond hair appeared at the doorway.

"Hi, un."

* * *

(some part of the upper paragraph was missing, but oh well. If I happen to find it again, I'll post it there D=)

* * *

Ino let her hand trail over the rough walls of the school, feeling the cool brick beneath her fingers. The combination of smooth skin vs. stone was interesting. She didn't lift her hands.

The dark clouds above were growing thicker. The air, heavier. Everything seemed to be getting worse. Even the wind, which had been non existent, was now becoming a frigid breeze. She shuddered. Through the thin white blouse and knee length pink skirt, her body had close to zero protection.

The blond girl thought back to this morning, when her mother had asked her if she had wanted to go shopping. She had frowned and said no way in hell. This had seemed to confuse her mother. And when she had added the part of how she didn't even like shopping, and would much rather climb trees outside, her mother had appeared to go into shock.

I don't understand, Ino thoughts, gazing at the rainy clouds. They shifted backwards as her feet carried her forwards. It feels like nothing's changed… but why is everyone acting like there's something wrong with me? Am I doing something wrong?

Where was she going, anyways? There wasn't much school ground left, and soon she'd be heading into one of the various forests. They weren't anything special, but they held haven to zones of students who were bothered by the school's never ending day. Konohagakure High seemed to be full of kids who didn't even want to be there. It was probably because of the crazy teachers and their boring classes.

"Hey, Ino-chan, where're you going?"

The blond spun around to face an orange haired boy with whiskers drawn on his face, holding a little orange fox in his arms. It was Naruto Uzumaki.

Crossing her arms, she shrugged, honestly not knowing the answer. "Around, I guess."

"Skipping?"

"…I guess…"

He placed his pet on the ground. "I thought you wanted to get the highest average in your grade this semester. You know, to prove to everyone that you're smart, too? That you're not just beautiful."

Ino smiled. Wherever she knew this boy from, she was glad that she did. He was sweet. But still… she couldn't shake that question out of her mind. It wasn't that it was strange… she just never remembered having made any sort of bet with anyone. It was even more puzzling than this morning.

"Why would I be trying to prove that?"

The fox – Bijuu – blinked. Naruto blinked, too. He scrunched up his face, as if he didn't understand what she was saying. Was she speaking a different language?

"Umm…" He looked nervous, twiddling his thumbs, and shuffling his feet. "You were competing with Sakura-chan."

"Sakura? You mean that pink haired girl?"

He nodded slowly.

"Why would I be competing with her? I barely know her."

Naruto's eyes widened in panic. He seemed to be choking on his words – something that looked weird when done simultaneously with his pet fox. Coughing, he dropped his voice a little. "Ino-chan… what happened this summer?"

Ino stopped.

She thought for a moment.

Wait…

She remembered the summer… but… for some reason, she couldn't summon up any distinct memories. Like an endless hole. It was still there… but impossible, completely impossible, to grasp. Nothing.

"I…" Now it was blond's turn to fidget uncomfortably. Why was her mind growing hazy? Why couldn't she remember? "I… hung around the house a lot?"

But Naruto had already taken off running, Bijuu at his heels. It would have been a funny site if it had been at any moment than right now.

Uh oh... she thought, grimacing. This can't be good. Not good at all.

* * *

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran down the hallways as fast as he could, yelling the pink haired girl's name. "Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!"

He spotted the student next to the water fountain, talking with a strange looking, brown haired boy. He was wearing an orange bandana with a swirly print. But as soon as they both spotted Naruto coming over, the strange vanished into the busy crowds of kids. She made a motion to leave as well.

"Sakura-chan, wait! Please!"

Raising an eyebrow, she glared at him. "What do you want? You interrupted my conversation with Tobi-kun." She made no effort to hide the irritation in her voice.

Naruto paused. Tobi? "Who's Tobi?"

"The guy you scared off. He's new here, too. He's only been in Konohagakure for the past three months. I was showing him around."

"Oh, okay…" The orange haired boy checked to make sure Bijuu was there, and then turned to his friend. Well… his /acquaintance./ He wished she's consider him to be her friend. It only life turned out how you wanted it to…

"Look, there's something wrong with Ino-san."

"What?" Sakura's attention flicked from him to the clock. He assumed that she had been taking a water break from class – and had to get back soon. "Let me guess. She's feeling guilty about avoiding and ignoring me all summer? She's crying somewhere because Sasuke-kun didn't reply to her greetings? Maybe she's throwing up in the bathroom?"

Naruto gulped. "Umm… not exactly."

"Then what?"

"Uhh…" He wondered if now was the right time to tell her. He didn't want to cause any kind of scene in the hallway, especially not in the middle of class. "I just- I saw…"

The pink haired girl put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. She looked inquisitive, but more than anything, a little frightened.

"Fine. If you're not going to tell me…" Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she began to walk in the opposite direction. Quickly.

"Wait!" Naruto grabbed her wrist tightly. She whirled around with wide eyes with a gasp at the force of his action, and he instantly loosened his grasp. But he didn't let go. "I… I think…" Come on, you can do it. Just say it. Do it. Do it now. "Ino-san… she… I think… I think her memory's been wiped."

* * *

"What's that brat doing here?" Sasori hissed at Pain. His voice was like acid. This was the second time today that the blond was interfering with his life.

"No, /you/ tell /me./" Pain hissed back, obviously unamused. Sasori remembered how long it had taken the leader to make sure that only members of the Akatsuki had been accepted into this particular art class. They had had to audition, even. "You seem to be familiar with Day-da-ra. Am I right?"

The red head's face matched his hair for a moment. "I bumped into his in the hallway. That's all. I have nothing to do with that brat.

"Then why the hell is he here? This art class had only nine spots."

Sasori hesitated. "I don't know…"

"Hey." Everyone looked up immediately, seeing the blond enter the classroom shyly. The teacher – a Konohagakure executive that Pain had bribed – gave him a funny look, paused, and then motioned for him to take a seat. "I'm Deidara, un. Sorry I'm late. As you can see," he shot a half nervous half shaky glance towards the back of the classroom. "I had to go to the nurse's office after gym class."

The only one who seemed excited by the blond's appearance was Hidan, whose purple eyes shone as he waved the new student over. There was an empty seat beside him, because Kakuzu was missing. Sasori swore as Deidara sat down. Damn Kakuzu.

"Hey, un." Deidara gave Hidan a wary look. Sasori could have sworn he squirmed a few inches away from the white haired boy when he wasn't looking. "It took me a while to get bandaged up in the nurse's office this morning... Do you think that you could maybe not send me there twice in one day, hmm?"

Hidan chuckled. "Don't worry, blondie. I was just having fun."

"Fun for you…"

The violet eyed boy's attention flashed to something distant for a moment, and then returned to a sado-playful expression. "So. How did you get accepted into this class? There were auditions, right? And, umm… I thought it was full."

Deidara blinked, confused. Auditions? "What auditions, un?"

Sasori /and/ Pain both whirled around in their seats, glares venemous. Those stared could kill if they wanted to. Shrinking back, Hidan grimaced, and re burried his head in the little clay model of a butchered man that he had been working on.

Auditions?


End file.
